McKittrick Canyon
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas · 5,014 ft
Typical peak
Oct 19 – Oct 27
moderate confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Bigtooth maple, velvet ash, and chinkapin oak follow a spring-fed creek walled in by fossil limestone reef. The Pratt Cabin stretch 2.4 miles in has the tightest concentration of maple over water.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Turn off US-62/180 at the McKittrick Canyon road about seven miles northeast of Pine Springs and drive four miles to the trailhead lot; the entrance gate opens at 8 a.m. and locks in the evening.
What turns here
- bigtooth maple
- chinkapin oak
- gray oak
- velvet ash
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 23Typical color progression for McKittrick Canyon. No change from Sep 15 to Oct 2. First color from Oct 2 to Oct 11. Approaching peak from Oct 11 to Oct 19. Peak from Oct 19 to Oct 27. Past peak from Oct 27 to Nov 6. Bare from Nov 6 to Nov 20.
McKittrick Canyon is typically at past peak on Nov 1, 2026.
This season so far
First frost
None yet
No night at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
70°F / 54°F
Average daily high and low.
Modeled weather for these coordinates from the Open-Meteo historical archive, Aug 1 – Oct 31; not a station record. Reported peak is the median date of approved peak-color reports.
Plan the light
McKittrick Canyon on October 23, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:43 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 103° | 7:08 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 33 min of low, warm light | 7:41 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:43 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 33 min before sunset | 5:45 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 257° | 6:18 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:43 PM |
Times in America/Denver · day length 11h 10m · computed from NOAA solar equations.
Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.